The Wiccan Charmed One
by TruSlayer559
Summary: After finding Willow cheating on her, a broken-hearted Tara MaClay leaves Sunnydale for San Francisco. Meanwhile, The Charmed ones discover the existence of another Halliwell, yet again.
1. Chapter 1: Discoveries

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Charmed are owned by Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, Aaron Spelling and Constance M. Burge. I only own the plot.

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The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 1: Discoveries

SOMEWHERE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF SUNNYDALE

Tara MaClay sat on a bus crowded with people. She had nothing much in the way of possession except the 2 packed suitcases and duffel bag at her side, and of course the clothes on her back. Her eyes were red from crying and she just took a spare moment to glimpse at the passing sign that said, "You are now leaving Sunnydale. Please come back soon!" Tara certainly hoped not.

-FLASHBACK-

Tara walked into her home at 1630 Revello Drive, where she lived with her girlfriend, Willow Rosenberg, the Slayer, Buffy Summers, and the Slayer's little sister, Dawn. She had been busy for the past week trying to find some answer explaining a robbery that had happened the week before, where a priceless diamond was stolen and a security guard was frozen solid. Buffy had gotten the idea of a frost demon who eats diamonds.

She heard moaning upstairs and got a quick fright. Buffy was supposed to be patrolling, Dawn was having a sleepover at her friend Janice's house, and Willow wouldn't be back from the library for another hour and a half. Summoning up her courage, Tara crept up the stairs to find out the cause of the noise.

She found more moaning and grunting coming from her room and quietly opened the door, only to see what would surely scar her for the rest of her life.

Both Willow and Buffy were half naked on HER bed, making out and groping each other like there was no tomorrow.

With that, Tara screamed, "What the HELL!"

"Tara?" said Willow having heard her soon-to-be ex-girlfriend's voice, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied, "Weren't you supposed to be at the library, like you have been all week? Convienient that I was away all those times."

Willow attempted to make an excuse, "No it's..."

"What, did I just get too boring for you?" Tara asked with a heavy heart.

Willow tried to reply, "Tara, baby, this is all a bi…"

But Tara cut her off, "And what do you have to say for yourself?" clearly having directed the question at Buffy.

The Blonde slayer hung her head in shame, her voice not leaving her mouth.

Willow tried to speak again, "Tara, please, I'm sorr…"

"No Willow," Tara replied, "Just how long has this been going on?"

Buffy was on the verge of tears when she replied, "A few months," she clearly was digusted with herself for hurting someone like this.

"A few _months_," Tara said, unbelieving, "Willow, if this is how you want it. Fine. We are through!"

-END FLASHBACK-

Tara thought of the moment and still could not believe what happened only hours ago. After the shouting match between her and Willow, with her doing the shouting, Tara packed her bags and left. Tara silently forgave Buffy before she left, she knew that the young slayer was remorseful for what she had done and had slim to no control over the situation. Willow had been abusive with the magicks lately, so much that Tara would not be surprised if her ex had bewitched Buffy into this.

She also didn't want to leave Dawnie behind, the girl had become a younger sister in every way but blood in the past few years, but she couldn't stay in that house when she knew what was going on.

She went to the bus station hoping to get out of town. She considered going to L.A., but that was Angel's territory and she did not want to get caught in that mess. So, she quickly decided to go to San Francisco. She went there once as a kid with her mother and she always liked the idea of going back.

1329 PRESCOTT STREET

Piper Halliwell was in the kitchen making dinner for her family and her sister, Phoebe, was writing the latest entry for her column, "Ask Phoebe," when Leo, Piper's lovely husband and whitelighter, orbed in, clearly worried about something.

"Leo," Piper started until she saw his worried face, "Sweetie, What's wrong?"

"Piper, Phoebe," started the guardian angel, "I've gotten news from the Elders."

"How does that involve us?" asked Phoebe curiously.

"I think all three of you should hear this," Leo replied.

"Alright," Piper said, taking a breath, "Paige!"

Next to her, the youngest Charmed One, Paige Matthews, materialized in orbs.

"What's the hubbub?" asked Paige.

Piper replied, "Leo has something to say."

"So what is it?" asked Phoebe.

"Earlier today, the Elders showed me a witch who will soon tap into her full potential…" said the angel.

"AND," all three sisters pushed on.

"And," Leo readied himself for the fireworks, "The Elders want to place her in our care."

"Leo, I don't…" Paige started.

"I'm not finished," Leo interrupted, "The Elders want her to stay with us because they claim her to be your youngest sister."

"WHAT!" exclaimed the Charmed Ones.


	2. Chapter 2: Conversations with Dead Peopl

The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 2: Conversations with Dead People

Last Chapter:

_"I'm not finished," Leo interrupted, "The Elders want her to stay with us because they claim her to be your youngest sister."_

_"WHAT!" exclaimed the Charmed Ones._

HALLIWELL MANOR

"Leo, what do you mean 'sister'," said Piper, "You mean to tell me that Mom had another child behind our backs. Surely Prue would have been old enough to remember having another sister."

"Not if your mother used magic to cover it up," responded Leo.

"How could she have had a child at the time?" asked Phoebe, "Paige was born a year and a half before Mom died, I didn't think she would have gotten pregnant so soon."

"Well, she did," said Leo, "But the more important thing is how she got so powerful, so soon. For all this time she has been just under the radar, but now we can sense her without even trying."

"Could someone have been trying to hide her?" Paige inquired.

"No, it wouldn't explain why we can suddenly find her now," the whitelighter replied.

"Unless someone wants us to find her," said Piper.

"I don't care, I just want her home," Phoebe said, with worry in her voice, worry for the sister she had never met.

Suddenly, the cries of a baby could be heard throughout the house.

"Wyatt," Piper responded to the noise, "I will get him."

Piper left to tend to her child.

"So, do we have any idea where to find her?" asked Paige.

"Not yet," Leo replied, disappointed, "But it will only take a matter of time."

Phoebe responded to this, "Time is the one thing we might not have."

"Then we should head to the attic," said Piper, with hers and Leo's baby boy, Wyatt, in her arms.

They went upstairs to the attic, where the Book of Shadows was standing on a pedestal. Phoebe opened it up to the spirit-summoning spell.

"The first thing we should do," said Phoebe while setting up the candles in a circle, "Is see what Mom and Grams know about her."

When they were ready, the sisters chanted together,

"_Hear these words, Hear our cry,_

_Spirit from the other side,_

_Come to us, We summon thee,_

_Cross now the Great Divide_."

Within moments, two figures appeared in glowing white orbs, Patty and Penny Halliwell, Mother and Grandmother to the Charmed Ones.

"Girls," Penny said, surprised, "What's wrong?"

"Mom, Grams, we know that we have another sister," said Piper, getting right to the point.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't find out so soon," said Patty.

"Well it's too late to take that back," Phoebe replied, "But now we need to know what you know."

Patty sighed, "Very well then. A few months after Paige was born, Sam and I broke up. Losing our daughter was too much for us to withstand. Though I didn't see it that way then. I want to save the story for later but I will tell you this. I was hoping to drown my sorrows in alcohol, but instead a young man comforted me. We spent the night together and nine months later, your sister was born. I knew that she was powerful from the beginning, maybe even more powerful than the three of you. I knew demons would come after her, so, I decided to give her up."

"Like me," said Paige, who seemed to relate to this situation.

"Exactly," Patty responded to her daughter, "I had her powers bound before I knew what they were, took her to the local church, the same one I took Paige to, and the nun put her in a good home. Ever since I died, I have been watching over her, just like I have been with you three."

"How has her life been?" asked Piper.

"She grew up knowing about magic," started Patty, "Her mother was a Wicca."

"Wicca?" asked Paige, "Don't you mean Witch?"

"No, wiccans practice earth magic," Penny explained, "They cast spells by pulling power from the Earth or pleading to some higher power."

"Right," said Patty, agreeing to the statement, "Her mother practiced earth magic, and taught your sister the craft. She gave her a peaceful, nurturing childhood, but died early on."

"You're forgetting about her father," Penny added, "He and the rest of the males in that family were afraid of her and drilled the thought into her head that her power came from her being a _demon_."

"Are you kidding me?!" belted Piper.

"Now's not the time," said Phoebe, interrupting Piper's tirade, "Right now we need to find her."

"Right now she is beginning to give off waves of power," stated Penny, "It would be easy to scry for her at this point. But now, the rest is up to you."

"Just one more thing," Paige began, "What is her name?"

"Her name is Tara MaClay," said Patty, "Blessed be, my beautiful girls."

With that, both Patty and Penny vanished in the glowing orbs they appeared in.

Piper then took command, handing her son to Leo, "Alright, Paige, get a map of the city, Phoebe, grab a crystal and start scrying, I will go down to the kitchen and grab some vanquishing potions in case some demons are looking for Tara."

Everyone did their jobs and soon, they had Tara's location and potions, in case if they met any resistance.

"Are we ready?" Piper asked.

Getting the affirmative from her sisters, The Halliwells orbed off to finally meet their baby sister.


	3. Chapter 3: Choosing Sides

I want to thank Youn2731, JEFF HARDY FAN31, Dax, jupitersthunder, and pay-day1999 for any and all reviews. Lately, I've been getting questions about who I'm pairing Tara with, and I'm getting nowhere in that department, so any suggestions are encouraged. Thanks!!

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The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 3: Choosing Sides

Previously in Chapter 1:

_Buffy was on the verge of tears when she replied, "A few months," she clearly was disgusted with herself for hurting someone like this._

"_A few _months_," Tara said, unbelieving, "Willow, if this is how you want it. Fine. We are through!"_

MAGIC BOX

"You did WHAT?!" Xander screamed.

The Scoobies were in an uproar, causing all the remaining customers in the shop to leave, if they haven't left already. Willow was trying to get everyone to calm down, which no one was planning on doing anytime soon. Buffy was staring a hole into the floor, she still had not gotten over what had gone down just hours before.

"EVERYBODY QUIET!" hollared Anya with anger burning in her eyes, "Look at what you've done. All the happy customers are gone! Do you know how much money I'm going to lose?"

"Anya, there are much more important things to talk about," said Giles, ending Anya's verbal massacre, "Such as Tara leaving us."

Dawn, who had tears in her eyes, asked, "How are we gonna get her back?"

"Lil' bit has a point," Spike spoke up, "Glinda is a powerful witch, and in this fight, we need any and all help we can get."

"For once, I dare say it, I agree with Spike," Giles responded, "I believe we should start with finding her. We can have a locator spell ready within the hour."

"What for?" Willow questioned the Watcher, "Tara was weak. I have more than enough power to keep us going."

"How can you say that Wills?" Buffy said, finally speaking up for herself, "Tara is not only a powerful witch but she is also a good friend."

"You're one to talk, Buff," said Xander, "I don't mean to be pointing fingers, but you had an affair with Willow. People don't usually mess around with their friend's girlfriend."

"That's not what happened," said the Slayer of the group, "I need to confess something to you guys..."

"Buffy stop," said Willow, with her eyes faintly glowing and her voice almost _hypnotic?_ No one noticed this change in Willow, except Giles.

"Willow, What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" interrupted Giles.

Buffy, who had just snapped out of Willow's thrall, asked, "What's wrong Giles?"

"Buffy, do you not remember what Willow was doing to you?" Giles asked, worried for what might have happened to his Slayer.

"Apparently not," Buffy said, confused.

"Giles," said Anya after taking a moment to calm down, "Get to the point, What's the matter?"

"I have reason to believe that Willow has been manipulating us all," Giles voiced his opinion.

"Oh come on," Willow said, trying to muddle up Giles' words, "Do you guys really think I could be capable of..."

"I do," said someone from the front door.

Everyone turned their heads, only to see Amy Madison at the front door. She looked a little worse for wear. In the past month, Willow had figured out how to undo the spell that had left Amy as a rat for three years.

"Amy, what happ...," Willow tried to get out.

But Amy was only too happy to cut her off, "Drop the act, Willow. I won't put up with this any longer."

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Willow asked, now realizing that Amy was going to spill the magic beans.

"This. _Tromedlov,_" Amy chanted, only to result in a flash of light, encasing Willow. After a moment, the light receded, but Willow disappeared.

"Amy, just what did you do to her?" Dawn asked, with everyones face showing the same curiosity.

"Nothing serious. I just banished Willow..." Amy started to explain.

"Banished?!" Xander exclaimed, "Just, exactly where did you banish Willow to?"

"As I was trying to say, I just_ teleported_," Amy corrected herself, "Willow to your house. I didn't want Willow to interrupt what I had to say."

"Okay," said Buffy, feeling better that Willow was out of the room, she didn't really want to face her right now, "Then what do you have to tell us?"

With this, Amy begun her tale...

-FLASHBACK-

It was a dark night when Willow and Amy were strolling the streets of Sunnydale. Amy had just been turned back into a human and Willow was helping her adjusting. The two witches had spent the night before at the Bronze and used up almost all of their power on the people in the club, bending the space around them to their will. Amy had a hard time keeping up with all of the hardcore spells that Willow was casting that night.

"So, what should we do?" asked Amy, curious what Willow had in store.

Willow responded with, "It'll be hard to top last night."

"Yeah, I don't know," replied Amy, "I feel awful, and I couldn't use magic. It took me all day to get my powers back. I think we should just lay low tonight."

"I have a better idea," said Willow, stopping in front of the Expresso Pump.

"What?" Amy questioned.

"I know this guy," says Willow, "and he knows spells that last for days, and the burn-out factor is like, nothing."

"He's a warlock?" replied Amy, worried where Willow was going with this.

"I guess," answered the red head, "This guy will blow your mind. He will take you to places you never even imagined."

Now, they started walking again, and Amy wondered, "Is it dangerous?"

"Will it stop you if it is?" reponded Willow.

* * *

Willow and Amy walked for a while and stopped in a dark alley.

"We're here," Willow said, having noticed the place they were going to.

"Where?" asked Amy, "I thought you said this guy lived around here."

"He does," stated Willow, "Can't you feel it?"

"What do you me..." Amy tried to get out but Willow grabbed her hand and held it at a certain spot.

"Here," said Willow, "Can you feel it?"

"It's hot," Amy answered, feeling the warmth coarsing through the air.

"See you on the other side," Willow told Amy, walking further into the alley, where she disappeared in a shimmer of air.

Amy held her hand out, walking cautiously to the spot where her friend disappeared.

Suddenly, Amy appeared in this dingy-looking room, with Willow at her side.

"It's cool, isn't it?" Willow asked the other witch, "The place is cloaked. It moves around a lot too, it keeps Rack out of trouble."

"Rack? Who's Ra..." asked Amy, but was interrupted by a door opening, revealing a less-than-attractive man, with scars all over his face.

"Rack, Rack, it's my turn..." said one girl, trying to get the warlock's attention.

"No, it's my turn..." said a guy standing across the room, starting an argument between the two.

"No, I believe these two were here first," said Rack, interrupting the argument, and singling out Willow and Amy.

* * *

Amy woke up the next morning in the clothes she had that night, feeling depressed and violated. She spent most of the day crying her eyes out.

-END FLASHBACK-

"...and ever since then, I've been keeping an eye on Willow and she has been not only going back to that bastard," Amy told the Scoobies, "But she has been using magic wherever she goes, on who ever she meets. I wouldn't be surprised if she had you guys like puppets on a string."

"Oh my god," said Xander, not believing that his friend would stoop so low.

"Spike," said Buffy, getting the attention of the bleach blond vampire,"Do you know about this guy, Rack?"

"I've heard a little off the demonic grapevine," answered Spike, "Apparently the bugger is more powerful than you can ever imagine. What he does is give his customers a dab of his dark power, but even that is a lot. I even heard that a guy _died_ because Rack gave him too much power, overloaded the body."

"And now Willow has some of that power," Amy stated, "This has to be put to a stop."

"Right. Are we all in agreement?" Buffy asked, getting the Okay from everyone, "Alright, Giles how should we proceed?"

"For now we can attempt to strip Willow of all the power that is corrupting her," repied the Watcher, "Then we should try to take this warlock out of business, and make sure that he poses as a threat no longer."

"But if Rack really is all that powerful, then we are going to need some more help," Anya informed the Group.

"Amy," asked Buffy, "Will you help us?"

"Count me in," said the witch, wanting to put this to an end.

"Good," replied Buffy, "But we still need more help. Once we help Willow, our next course of action should be to find Tara and convince her to come back, if only to help us with this."

"Agreed," said Giles, "With Amy's help, we can find Tara in less than an hour."


	4. Chapter 4: The New Arrival

The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 4: The New Arrival

Previously:

_"You are now leaving Sunnydale. Please come back soon!"_

* * *

_"I'm not finished," Leo interrupted, "The Elders want her to stay with us because they claim her to be your youngest sister."_

* * *

_"Her name is Tara MaClay," said Patty._

* * *

_The Halliwells orbed off to finally meet their baby sister._

SAN FRANCISCO BUS STATION

Tara sat alone on a bench overlooking the nearly empty parking lot. She took a moment to take in her surroundings and sighed in frustration. Her coming to the city was a spur-of-the-moment type deal. Now, she was confused with what she should do. She didn't have much money with her, so a hotel was nearly out of the question. Tara did not know anybody in the city, so far, so the only place she available at the moment was this bench.

"Hey," said a voice behind Tara, which she found to belong to a man as she turned around, "Do you need help?"

"You could say something like that," replied Tara, "But you're not really interested in that, now are you. I mean, I can just look at you and know you're thinking 'Ooooooh, dinner at last!'"

"Clever little witch," said the vampire as he shifted into his "game face," but quickly turned to dust as Tara took a stake she hid in her sleeve and plunged it into the offending vampire's heart.

"Yeah," responded Tara to the now dead vampire's statement, "I guess I am."

_"Though not clever enough to know that my girlfriend is cheating on me,"_ Tara thought, as she held back any tears that were threatening to be released.

In her grief, Tara never noticed the demon that appeared in a shimmer of air right behind her, until he spoke out, "Alone at last," and throwing an energy ball at the distracted wicca.

Just in time, Tara saw the incoming energy ball and ducked to the side, only to have another energy ball thrown her way.

Again after again, Tara ducked energy balls until she could gather enough power to cast a spell to negate an equally powerful energy ball.

When her power finally reached it's peak, Tara chanted, "_Reflect_," which sent an incoming energy ball back to the demon, who exploded on impact.

Tara thought she had finally gained a moment of peace, but was mistaken as another wave of demons, shimmered in. Tara ducked behind her trusty bench, to avoid the onslaught of energy balls and fire balls that were headed her way. Tara quickly prayed to the goddess that help would come soon.

Her prayers were answered as three women appeared in a swirl of bright blue and white lights. Together they fought off the demons with what Tara assumed to be potions, which seemed to be as lethal as the energy balls.

Individually, each woman showed great feats of power. The youngest, with the red hair, deflected the demon's powers by teleporting them in blue and white light, similar to how they came in. Another woman who had short brown hair, fought the demons off physically with precision, force and great skill in martial arts, and at times, Tara thought she saw her _levitating_ in the air. The third woman, who Tara thought was the oldest, froze and vanquished the demons with a flick of her hands.

When only a minority of the demons were left, the three chanted together,

"_Hell threw you from it's inner core,_

_but earth won't hold anymore,_

_since heaven cannot be your place,_

_your flesh and blood we now erase._"

When they finished, all of the remaining demons erupted in flames, leaving Tara in awe.

"Are you Tara?" Piper asked, "Tara MaClay?"

Tara was surprised that her saviors knew her name, and replied, "Who wants to know?"

"Well, my name is Phoebe Halliwell," answered the middle sister, "this is my older sister, Piper, and my younger sister Paige," pointing out each girl in turn.

"What do you want with me?" asked Tara.

"If you will come with us," Paige replied, "We can talk somewhere else."

While Tara's common sense was screaming at her to decline the offer, something deep in her heart and head told her to go with them. She felt some bond with these women, some kinship, which compelled her to say, "Alright."

"Okay," said Piper, "Let's go."

In seconds, Paige orbed the group of four into the foyer of the Halliwell Manor, where Tara left her things in a corner.

"Alright, what is all this about?" asked Tara, getting straight to the point.

"Well," Piper spoke up, "Let's say a friend of ours knows of you and knows something you don't, concerning you."

"And what might that be?" replied Tara.

"More straight to the point," said Phoebe, "Did you know that you were adopted at birth?"

"What are you talking about," responded Tara, confused, "I'm no..."

Tara took some time to think. She had always wondered why their was no record of her birth, no video tapes, no photos, nothing. It only went to prove that she was adopted.

"If what you are saying is true," asked Tara, "Then who are my birth parents, and why was I adopted?"

"You see," started Paige, coaxing Tara into what she was going to say, "Our mom is your birth mother, making you our half-sister. And you were given up at birth to protect you from the demons, like the ones we vanquished at the bus station."

Tara had loved her mother very much, but she had died years ago. She was never close to her other family especially her father, and the Scoobies weren't really an option at the time. All of this led Tara to believe what they said more and more.

"What do I do now?" asked Tara, everything was moving too fast and she didn't know if she could handle it.

"If it makes you feel any better," said Paige, feeling for her confused, younger sister, "I know exactly what you're going through. You see, I was given up at birth, too. And the circumstances were all too much the same as what you are going through, now. You're not alone in this."

Paige's comforting words made Tara more visibly relaxed, and the blonde gave Paige a thankful smile.

"When we first met Paige," said Piper, "We shared something with her, that we want to share with you, now."

"What?" asked a curious Tara.

"What good magic can really do," stated Phoebe.


	5. Chapter 5: The Power of Four

The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 5: The Power of Four

Previously:

_"When we first met Paige," said Piper, "We shared something with her, that we want to share with you, now."_

_"What?" asked a curious Tara._

_"What good magic can really do," stated Phoebe._

HALLIWELL MANOR

The four witches walked into the attic of the manor, to show Tara something that she wasn't really clear on.

Piper, Phoebe and Paige walked to an old book on a pedestal sitting at the center of the room, inviting Tara to join them.

Tara placed her hands on the book, only for it to start glowing, and the triquetra on the cover of the book started to change shape. Now, instead of three ovals in the circle, there was four.

"What was that?" asked Tara.

"Seems like you're now part of the family," said Piper.

"This is the Book of Shadows," said Phoebe, her hands placed on the newly renovated cover, "It has been passed down from generation to generation in our family, getting bigger as time passes."

"Every time it has been handed down, our family has added to it," Piper added, "The book is not to be messed around with, there many demons who would want to get their hands on the book. It has spells on it to protect itself, sometimes I think it has a mind of it's own, but still we like to keep it in the house, where it's safe."

"It looks so old," Tara observed, flipping around the pages, seeing the various spells and demons listed inside.

"It has been through a lot," replied Paige, "The book even survived the Salem Witch Trials. Are you seeing how important it is to keep it safe?"

"Yeah," answered Tara, knowing the seriousness of the question, "I can see why others would want it, I can feel the magic coming off from the book in waves."

"We were told that you practice Earth Magic," said Piper, amazed that Tara could feel this power, when she or her sisters hadn't even felt a bit of magic off the book.

"Yes, I do," said Tara, wondering how they knew this, "I picked it up from my mom. By the way, how do you know so much about me? I mean, we just met, right?"

"Right," responded Phoebe, "Maybe there is someone who can explain this a little better. LEO!"

"Who are y..." Tara attempted to say, but was interrupted when a man appeared in orbs, with a baby in his arms.

"Tara," said Piper to her baby sister, "I want you to meet my husband, Leo, and your little nephew, Wyatt."

"He is so adorable," replied Tara, awed at the cute baby boy.

"Would you like to hold him?" asked Leo, handing the small child to Tara.

"So anyway," started Phoebe, "Leo is a whitelighter, which basically means, he is a guardian angel of sorts for good witches. We learned about you through him."

"The Elders, higher beings who are a step under the Powers that Be," Leo informed Tara, "sensed you the moment you left Sunnydale. During your stay there, you came into your powers, but the Hellmouth's mystical energy took you off their radar. That's why we just found you now."

"But anyway, we have more important things to do," Piper cut in, turning her attention to Tara, "We told you that we would show you something right?"

Tara nodded as she handed off the baby to Leo.

Piper flipped to a certain page in the Book of Shadows while Paige and Phoebe arrenged five white candles into a circle. When they were finished with their tasks, they stood together and chanted,

"_Hear these words, hear my cry,_

_Spirit from the other side,_

_Come to me, I summon thee,_

_Cross now the great divide._"

As they finished the spell, a swirl of lights gathered within the candles, forming the spirit of Patricia Halliwell.

Patty appeared and looked forward to see her youngest daughter among her and said, "Tara?"

Tara felt that she was going to cry when she answered, "Mom?"

Patty walked out of the circle of candles, becoming caporeal as she stepped through. The newfound mother and daughter embraced each other, not wanting to let go, as if the other would disappear if they did.

Patty held Tara at arms length to tell her, "Welcome home."

After hugging one last time, Patty led her baby girl to the couch and sat down. Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Leo watched the touching moment.

"I'd bet you have many questions you want to ask," stated the mother to the Charmed Ones.

"Just a few," said Tara, "First off, What were the circumstances of my birth?"

"You see," said Patty, "It was a few months after Paige was born, Sam, Paige's father, and I were still together. After we gave up Paige, we became distant. One day, he dumped me altogether. I was so depressed after that point, not only did I lose a daughter, but I lost a man that I loved, too. I was at a local bar, hoping to drown my sorrows in alcohol, but instead a young man comforted me. He was so sweet, and a perfect gentleman. We dated a while, and sooner or later we spent the night together and nine months later, you were born."

"I remember the night I told him I was pregnant. It was the same night I told him that I was a witch," said Patty, bringing up painful memories, "He turned away from me, worried about something. He didn't need to tell me what it was, when he turned around, his fangs did that for him."

"He was a vampire?" asked Tara, surprised at this turn in the story.

"Yes," said Patty, "But there was something about him, a more _human_ quality to him, almost as if he had a soul. A few days later, I confronted him, intending to kill him, but I just couldn't do it, so I erased his memory of me, so he couldn't hurt us. But Tara, remember this, despite what your father was, you were born out of love."

"Okay," said Tara, still stunned about her geneology, "I just need to get used to this turn of events."

"Understandable," replied her birth mother, "Is there anything else you wanted to ask?"

"Yeah," said Tara, getting over the shock, "What exactly are my powers?"

"Well," Patty started, "when you were born, I planned to erase the girl's memories of you, they were old enough to remember you at that point, so I didn't think it would matter if I let them hold you for a moment. But then the strangest thing happened. I think that your powers somehow triggered a premonition in Phoebe, even though her powers were bound. From what she said, it looked like your powers were Elecktrokenesis, the power to control electricity with your thoughts. Any other powers you might have, I am not aware of. Anyway, I gave you up, and the next day Piper, Phoebe, and Prue didn't remember a thing about you."

"Who's Prue?" Tara asked.

"Prue was your eldest sister," Patty answered, "She died in a demon attack a couple of years ago. Honestly Leo, I thought as her whitelighter, you would have told her this."

"Actually, the Elders made it quite clear that I was not to be her whitelighter," Leo informed the group.

"Leo," Piper asked her husband, "If you are not her whitelighter then who is?"

"I am," said a female voice as a swirl of orbs appeared in the attic, revealing a girl around Tara's age.

Everyone looked to the new arrival as she introduced herself to her charge in her Jamaican accent, "Tara, my name is Kendra, surely Buffy told you about me."

"Kendra," Tara replied, remembering Buffy's stories, "You were the Slayer that was called when Buffy died the first time."

"Correct," started the late Slayer, "The Elders sent me here to intoduce myself, as well as explaining your powers."

"But I already know my power," answered Tara, "Elecktrokenesis."

"That is only half of it," responded Kendra, "You are quite the anomaly. Instead of being half-witch, half-vampire. You are half-witch, half-vampire _slayer._"

"What!" said Tara, again she was caught off-guard with the new info, "How can I be a Slayer? I was never called as one."

"But you were born with the power," added Kendra, "During conception, the warring magicks within you fought, vampire against witch. The light power won over and your vampire genes became that of a Slayer. Making me the proper whitelighter for you."

"Alright," Tara said, stunned again by news, "I can handle this. I might as well find out now. Mom," directing her attention to Patty, "Who is my birth father?"

Patty sighed at this, "His name was..."


	6. Chapter 6: The Darkness Within

The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 6: The Darkness Within

Previously:

_"For now we can attempt to strip Willow of all the power that is corrupting her," repied the Watcher, "Then we should try to take this warlock out of business, and make sure that he poses as a threat no longer."_

* * *

_"Amy," asked Buffy, "Will you help us?"_

_"Count me in," said the witch, wanting to put this to an end._

* * *

_"Alright," Tara said, stunned again by news, "I can handle this. I might as well find out now. Mom," directing her attention to Patty, "Who is my birth father?"_

_Patty sighed at this, "His name was..."_

* * *

_"...Angel."_

_With these words, Tara fiented._

-END FLASHBACK-

Tara woke up about a half hour later. She did not recognize where she was...for a few seconds. Then all of what just happened came rushing back. Willow cheating on her, new place, new family, new powers, and let's not forget, Angel.

Angelus, the Scourge of Europe, the Vampire with a soul, Champion for the Powers that Be, Buffy Summers' ex boyfriend, oh, and not to mention...her _father_!

After the attempt to help her through this, Patty and Kendra, on order of the Elders, had to leave, which left her alone with her sisters.

Now, Tara was alone in the attic, thinking about the news that revealed itself mere moments ago. And her family was left downstairs, worrying about how she was handling all of this.

"I'm worried about her," said Piper.

"Me too," agreed Phoebe, "Someone should help her through this."

"Thanks for volunteering, Phoebs," Paige insisted.

"But...you...I can't--" Phoebe sputtered.

But Piper cut in, "You can and you will."

Phoebe tried to get out of it and said, "But guys--"

Both sisters gave her a look that made Phoebe back down, "Fine, I will talk to her, perhaps I can help her trough this. But you guys soooo owe me after this."

"After this is over I will get you a new pair of shoes," offered Piper.

"I will get you the purse to match," added Paige.

"And I am so gone," replied Phoebe, both wanting to help Tara and to get a new pair of shoes.

As Phoebe entered the attic, she saw her younger sister reading from the Book of Shadows, thinking to herself.

"Hey stranger," Phoebe said, announcing her arrival, "How are you holding up?"

"It's gettin' better," Tara answered, her eyes glued to a specific page, "You know, there's a page dedicated to him in the book."

"Your father?" asked Phoebe. At Tara's nod, she asked, "Do you mind if I look?"

"Of course not," replied Tara, turning the pedestal to her older sister, "Besides, you were bound to see this page sooner or later."

"Lets see. _Angelus_," said Phoebe, reading from the page, "_meaning, 'the one with the angelic face,' is not a force to be reckoned with. More commonly known as Angel, this vampire is one of the most powerful. His knowledge of humans allows him to blend into society. In the mid-eighteenth century, in Galway, Ireland, young Liam O'Connor was lured into an alley and turned into a creature of darkess by Darla, known to be a vampiric agent for the Order of Aurelias. Luring Darla away from the order, they reeked havok over Europe for over a century, whilst turning two others, Drusilla and William the Bloody aka Spike. These four vampires became known as the Scourge of Europe. In Romania, 1898, Angelus killed the favored daughter of the Kalderash Gypsy clan. In punishment, the elders of the clan cursed him with his human soul, to live forever with his guilt. Now, Angel has isolated himself from the rest of humanity, not getting close enough to be tempted by his hunger_."

"I never knew so much about him before this," said Tara, "There's a picture on the next page."

They both looked to see a drawing of the handsome, dark, brooding vampire.

"Wow, did Mom know how to pick them or what?!" said Phoebe when she saw the picture, "How are you with all of this?"

Tara considered for a moment and said, "A little..."

"...Taken by surprise, confused..." Phoebe cut in.

"Yeah," Tara said, not knowing how Phoebe came up with that, "and a bit..."

"...Frustrated," added Phoebe, "You don't know how to approach him with this."

"Whats going on here? How do you now what I'm feeling?"

"I have no idea. I'm sorry," said Phoebe, putting her hand on Tara's arm, and was taken into a premonition.

"Piper!...Paige!," Tara hollared.

They ran into the attic to see Phoebe having a vision and Piper held Phoebe's hand as she asked, "Phoebe, tell me, What do you see?"

"I see a small, blonde girl," answered Phoebe, her eyes closed as she watched as it took place, "There is a small group following her lead, and they are armed with weapons..."

SUNNYDALE

Buffy and the Slayerettes walked down Revello drive, with every intention of helping Willow. Giles and Amy were ready with the spell to strip Willow of all the dark power she had accumulated over the years, but keep the lighter power intact. The rest of the Scoobies were armed to the teeth, with the exception of Dawn, who was staying at the Magic Box, and Anya, who was looking after Dawn, but more importantly her money.

"Slayer," Spike called out to Buffy, "I don't see the point of bringing weapons, I mean it is _Willow_ we are going to face off against."

"We're not going to face off," Buffy said as they approached her house, "We will give Willow a chance to back down willingly. If she doesn't, then we're going to have to fight."

"But Buff," Xander said, "This is Willow we're talking about."

"No Xander," Buffy replied as she stopped to turn to Xander, "This is not the same Willow. The Dark magic is corrupting her, it has already changed her. So, I say we fight to get our Willow back."

"She's right," Giles added, "It will not truly be Willow until we do this."

"Okay," said Xander, knowing the validity of their words, "Let's do this."

They climbed the stairs to the door, ready for what was to come.

Buffy opened the door quietly, and led the group inside. The Slayer saw no sign of her witch friend so they moved on upstairs. They entered Willow's room first, and saw the redhead sitting calmly on her bed.

"Ah Buffy," Willow said staring at a space on the wall, "Come to slay me, have you?"

"No," Buffy replied, "Willow, I just want to help you."

"Everyone's soooo considerate," said Willow, her words dripping with sarcasm, "Well, have you thought of this one, Buff. I don't want your help."

But Buffy still pushed on, "Willow you are a good person. This is not the path you want to take. The forces inside you are incredibly powerful. They're strong ... but you're stronger. You have to remember you're still Willow."

"Let me tell you something about Willow," said Willow as she advanced toward Buffy, "She's a loser. And she always has been. People picked on Willow in junior high school, high school, up until college. With her stupid mousy ways. And now? Willow's a junkie."

As she said these words, Willow's hair turned all black, her eyes went all black, and dark veins became visible all over her face. She gave herself a little smile.

Willow sent a bolt of lightning at Buffy, sending her to the ground. When the Slayer got back on her feet, Willow was long gone.

HALLIWELL MANOR - ATTIC

"...and as the blonde recovers and looks around for the witch, she had already disappered," said Phoebe, explaining her premonition, "I didn't feel like it will happen or it has happened. It played out just as I watched it."

"The blonde must have been Buffy," said Tara, knowing the vision's meaning, "and the witch was Willow, I know it."

"Who are these people?" asked Paige, wondering of her sisters connection to these people.

"The reason I left Sunnydale," Tara answered, sadness in her voice, "Buffy is the current vampire slayer, and Willow is a really powerful wicca. For a while, she has been hooked on the dark magicks."

"It looked like fighting was only going to be their last resort," Phoebe mentioned, "Two of them looked like they were ready to cast a spell to strip someone's powers. Maybe they just want to help this girl."

"It sounds like what the Scoobies would do in this situation," Tara added, "They probably realized how the power was corrupting Willow and want to help her before she does something she will regret later."

"And if Phoebe had a vision about this, that means we have to help them," commented Piper.

"Where do we start?" Phoebe asked, "Willow pulled a Houdini at the end of the premonition. Also, I saw how juiced she was with the dark magic. She even put the Source to shame. If we are going up against her, we will need backup."

"I know who we can bring in," Tara responded.

"Who did you have in mind?" Piper asked curiously.

Tara answered with, "I think we should bring in dear, old dad."


	7. Chapter 7: Call of the Angel

The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 7: Call of the Angel

Previously:

"Angelus," _said Phoebe, reading from the page,_ "meaning, 'the one with the angelic face.'"

* * *

_"Slayer," Spike called out to Buffy, "I don't see the point of bringing weapons, I mean it is _Willow_ we are going to face off against."_

* * *

_"Ah Buffy," Willow said staring at a space on the wall, "Come to slay me, have you?"_

* * *

_"Let me tell you something about Willow," said Willow as she advanced toward Buffy, "She's a loser. And she always has been. People picked on Willow in junior high school, high school, up until college. With her stupid mousy ways. And now? Willow's a junkie."_

* * *

_Tara answered with, "I think we should bring in dear, old dad."_

THE HYPERION HOTEL - ANGEL'S ROOM

Deep in the night, Cordelia Chase, Miss Popularity during her days in Sunnydale High, and key member to the A.I. team, lay asleep in Angel's bed. She had been comatose for hours, having collapsed after recieving a vision from the Powers that Be. Near the closed doorway, Angel, vampire with a soul, and Cordelia's boss, kept watching her, waiting for her to wake up.

All of a sudden, Cordelia rose with a pain filled scream, and Angel, and the rest of the team, including Wesley, Gunn, Fred, and Lorne, came to Cordelia's bedside, to see her screaming.

"What's happening to her?" asked Fred, who looked very concerned for the seer.

"Oh," Cordelia moaned as she sat up, only to feel Angel's arms embrace her in a hug.

"I thought I lost you," said the vampire, with fear still in his voice.

"Oh, Angel," Cordelia said, when she suddenly gasped and felt her forehead, "No horns," she said in realization, then checked her backside and sighed, "No tail," with a thankful smile on her face.

"Whew! Just checking," Cordelia said, then got off the bed.

"It feels so good to be solid again," she exhaled deeply as she walked towards the door and turned to face the team.

"Cordelia, What's the last thing you remember?" Wesley asked curiously.

"When? I've been so--" Cordelia said, but stopped at everyone's looks, "Oh, you mean the vision downstairs. No. I had the vision, but it's been taken care of. There was this actress and a one-armed guy."

Cordelia gave a smile and added, "It's a long story, but right now we have to solve my vision."

"The one you just said was taken care of?" asked Lorne.

"No. The one I'm having right now," she responded quickly, "There's a young man in a park in Glendale...uh, somewhere near a pond. There's a demon waiting for him. He's red with four-- No. Make it five horns."

"Uh, Cordy?" Angel said, he and everyone else had the same strange look on their faces.

"What?" she asked, not noticing herself floating a foot above the floor, but when she looked down, "Oh," and she fell to the ground in a heap.

HYPERION HOTEL - LOBBY

"...and I remembered everything. The visions, demons, and the real world," Cordelia said, recounting the happenings of a few hours ago, "Skip reappeared, looking pissed, and I layed the big foot down. And he made me part demon."

"Interesting," Wesley commented, "Did this demon mention what species of demon you now are? Any information may foreshadow any physical or behavioral changes that may take place, or any powers you may have."

"He didn't say anything about that," Cordelia answered, "And as long as I don't erupt in scales any time soon, I really don't care."

"So, do we just wait and look for any new traits she has and I.D. what demon she is?" Fred asked.

"On the contrary," Wesley stated, "There is an identification spell I came across not too long ago and--"

Though Wesley didn't have time to finish because at that moment, the Charmed Ones decided to orb into the hotel lobby. The A.I. team took defensive positions until Angel noticed a girl in the group.

"Tara, is that you?" Angel recognized the girl from when they met at Joyce Summers' funeral, "What are you doing here?"

"Angel," Tara said in greeting, and walked up to the vampire, "We need your help."

"Why don't you four come into the office so we can talk," Wesley said and everyone took a place near Wesley's desk.

"I think introductions are in order," Angel said to the four witches, "You already know myself, this is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Charles Gunn, Winifred Burkle, Cordelia Chase, and Lorne."

"I think everybody knows my name," said Tara to the group, "These three are Piper Halliwell, Phoebe Halliwell, and Paige Matthews," pointing to each sister in turn.

"Halliwell, that name seems familiar," Wesley stated curiously, "You wouldn't happen to have any relation to the Charmed Ones, would you?"

"Actually, we are the Charmed Ones," Phoebe stated, "Recently, I had a premonition that foretells a major evil coming our way and we cannot handle it on our own."

"Wait a minute for those in the peanut gallery who are _not_ mystically inclined," Gunn cut into the conversation, "What do you mean by 'Charmed Ones'?"

"I may be able to clarify," said Wesley, "During the Salem Witch Trials, a powerful witch named Melinda Warren was found out and killed. As she was burnt at the stake, she prophesized that the power in her line would become stronger and stronger, culminating the arrival of three sisters, the Charmed Ones. It is also said that each sister would display one of the powers that Melinda once had, telekinesis, premonitions, and the power to stop time."

"What do you mean by powers?" asked Cordelia, "I thought you said they were witches."

"The witches we have come across were wicca," Wesley explained, "They channeled the earth's natural power or a higher power. These three have their own power and it allows them to cast spells all on their own or display a unique power."

"Now that we are back on track," Angel said, "Phoebe, Why don't you explain your vision?"

"I might be able to explain it a little better," Tara spoke up, "The other day, I left Sunnydale for personal reasons. During the past months, Willow has been abusing the magicks and using them for her own gain. When I confronted her about it, she erased my memory of the fight. The night I left I caught Willow...um...doing something not good, so I packed up and left."

"Would you care to say what Willow was doing?" Wesley asked.

"NO," Tara said a little too loud, and people were looking at her in an odd way, "I mean, I can't say. Anyway, I think Willow has been controlling the guys back on the Hellmouth and using too much dark power. So I left to clear my head, and I ended up in San Francisco. I had only been there five minutes and I was attacked by a swarm of demons. Thankfully, these three showed up and vanquished them. It was then that they revealed to me that I was their long lost sister. They have been training me to use my powers since then. Tonight, Phoebe had a premonition of Buffy confronting Willow about everything, and Willow wiping the floor with her."

"What were they planning to do?" asked Wesley.

"They approached her carefully," said Phoebe, having seen it first-hand, "They wanted her to back down on her own. But they were prepared to use force if the need came for it. It also looked like they wanted to cast a power stripping spell."

"It would make sense if the power was corrupting her," Fred commented.

"Where is Willow now?" Lorne asked.

"We don't know, she vanished at the end of the vision," Paige answered.

At that, Piper had an idea, "Maybe we can use the 'to call a lost witch' spell or scry for her. Paige do you think you can orb the book here?"

"Sure," answered Paige, and called for it, "Book of Shadows."

Suddenly the Book appeared in her open arms and the sisters opened it up to a particularly dusty page. Dust drifted up to Cordelia's nose and she sneezed. As she did, her skin turned a murky green and blue thorns appeared on her face.

"Woah," Phoebe said as she jumped at the sight of this new side of Cordelia, "What just happened?"

"Cordy was recently turned part-demon," Angel stated, "Now we know what she is, a--"

"--walking pincushion," Codelia finished for him as she shook of her new guise.

"She means part-bracken demon," Wesley corrected, explained to the sisters, "Cordelia recieves visions from the Powers that Be, which as of yesterday were quite fatal. The Powers intervened and made Cordy part-demon so that she could survive the pain the visions gave her."

"Why don't you guys look in the Book of Shadows and see what you can find on bracken demons," Tara said to her sisters, "Meanwhile, Angel, I need to talk to you in private."

"Sure, we can use my room," Angel said as they walked out of the office.

Piper, Phoebe and Paige watched as they walked away, knowing what words were about to be said.

ANGEL'S ROOM

"So, Tara," Angel started, "What did you need to talk about?"

"There's more to my story than the abriged version I told you downstairs," Tara said, "But first, I need to give something back to you."

"What?" Angel asked, not knowing what was taken.

"Your memory," Tara stated as she placed her hand on his forehead, and she started chanting a modified version of a spell she read in the Book of Shadows,

_"As these words_

_are heard and said,_

_return lost memories_

_to his heart and head."_

When she finished, Angel's eyes flashed white as the memories Patty Halliwell had erased came rushing back.


	8. Chapter 8: A Family United

The Wiccan Charmed One by TruSlayer

Chapter 8: A Family United

Previously:

_"There's more to my story than the abridged version I told you downstairs," Tara said, "But first, I need to give something back to you."_

_"What?" Angel asked, not knowing what was taken._

_"Your memory," Tara stated as she placed her hand on his forehead, and she started chanting a modified version of a spell she read in the Book of Shadows,_

"As these words

are heard and said,

return lost memories

to his heart and head."

_When she finished, Angel's eyes flashed white as the memories Patty Halliwell had erased came rushing back.  
_

* * *

THE HYPERION HOTEL - ANGEL'S ROOM

"My God," Angel said as he collapsed into a nearby chair, images still flashing in his head.

"Yeah," Tara commented as she took the seat next to him, "That's pretty much how I reacted. But hey, look on the bright side, at least you didn't feint."

"How...?" Angel tried to ask.

"An over 250 year old vampire and you can't figure out that magic was used on you?" Tara remarked with a smirk on her face.

Angel gave a short laugh and smile, replying, "That's not what I meant. How do you know so much? Your spell would have only given me _those_ memories if you knew they existed in the first place. How did you know about Patty and me?"

"Because she told me," Tara answered simply.

"How is Patty doing now-a-days?" Angel asked with a smile.

"Right, you wouldn't know," Tara said with sudden realization.

"Know what?" Angel asked, his fear rising.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, Angel, but," Tara hesitated, "Patty is dead."

"Wh...What? No, you're wrong, nothing could have gotten to her," Angel stood up and started pacing the room, a minute later he stopped, and he said monotonously, "When did it happen?"

"A few months after your baby was born," Tara replied.

Angel's eyes widened as he remembered the child that Patty had erased from his memory.

"Tell me," Angel said, sitting down again, "What happened to my child?"

"Well, after your daughter was born, Patty gave her up for adoption," Tara began, "Her family life was very traumatic because the males in her family feared her power and they took to abusing her. But her adopted mother was also a practicing witch and did what she could for her, made sure that she was raised well and knew how to control her growing power. Though, her adoptive mother passed away when she was seventeen. After that, she reached a rebellious stage of her life, and once she graduated from high school, she went to college in order to put as much distance as she could manage between herself and her adoptive family. Now, she's doing what she can to find herself."

"But where is she now?" Angel asked, anticipation evident in his voice.

Tara only smiled and looked him in the eyes and said, "Where do you think she'd be?"

It had been centuries since Angel had seen his reflection, but there was always one thing he was sure of, his eyes, and he knew that when he looked at Tara, his eyes were staring back at him. In moments, his arms closed around Tara, afraid that if he let her go, she would disappear.

He slowly released her and held her at arms length, "You know, now that I think of it, I can see a bit of my mother in you, but you look so much like Patty. Well, except for your eyes, they're-"

"-Yours," Tara ended her father's sentence, a seemingly endless smile adorning her face. Angel embraced her, his joy filling in his chest, but was cut short when he heard a baby crying in his bedroom.

"Just a sec," Angel said as he sat up and walked to his room, returning seconds later with a small baby boy in his hands, and while sitting down again, he was saying in a baby voice, "Now don't you think I forgot about you, little man."

"He is too cute," Tara cooed as she looked at the newborn, "Who's baby is this?"

"Mine," Angel replied, looking at his daughter's face, hoping for a positive reaction.

Instead, Tara only stared at Angel in confusion, "Wha...?"

"I'd like you to meet, Connor," Angel said as he stepped closer to his daughter and placed the small bundle in her arms, "Your little brother."

Suddenly screaming filled the air, and both Tara and Angel jumped from their seats. Tara ran from the room as fast as her legs would carry her, with Angel following after her moments later, after putting Conner in his bassinet.

Finally, they came upon the main lobby, on the balcony overlooking the first floor, only to find it completely dark. Together, they scanned the lower floor for any sign of movement on the darkness.


End file.
